Before the Storm Breaks
by Miss Learmont
Summary: Artemis receives a strange email from what appears to be an employee of the black-market equivalent of Fowl Enterprises, but what happens when he realises that he and the mystery writer must ally in order for him to regain the memories of his past?
1. Prologue

**Title: **Before the Storm Breaks

**Author:** Chandramukhi

**Rated:** PG-13

**Summary:** Artemis receives a strange email from what appears to be an employee of the black-market equivalent of Fowl Enterprises, but what happens when he realises that he and the president of this rival company must ally in order for him to regain the memories of his past that have been lost to him by the People?

***_Prologue*_**

**_From the Documentaries of Prof. J. Argon:_**

_(updated)_

_Ever since Artemis Fowl II was mind-wiped five years ago, the People have enjoyed a greater sense of security. Close observation for at least three years afterward has demonstrated that neither he, nor his cronies Butler or Juliet, have successfully attempted to discover the ways of the People._

_And so, once again, the identity of the People remains, once again, a secret. _

_Shortly after his forgetting of the People, Artemis Fowl I passed away. At the young age of fourteen, Artemis Fowl the Second lost a father, and opened a new business empire in the family name. Named Fowl Enterprises, within a year of its founding, already had established a vast empire stretching from northern Ireland all the way to Egypt. Today, five years after its founding, Fowl Enterprises now is a worldwide empire, with over twenty thousand branches worldwide, employing over five million people, and basically dominating the world of Mud Men today. The company today deals in totally legal affairs, with Artemis Fowl II as its president and founder. Moreover, it appears as though Artemis has made a point to not meddle in black-market or illegal affairs._

_Fowl Enterprises has but one rival: one company large enough to be called the equivalent of Fowl Enterprises, though it attained its empire through black market dealings._

_Swallow Industries is a vast black-market empire, dominating the black market worldwide. Its president, Umbra R. Swallow, however, seems bent on "destroying" the company name by bringing it into legitimate practises. Umbra Swallow is a seventeen-year-old genius, who runs the company as its president. Her father, Rourke Swallow, is a black-market pirate, whose only choice was either to let his headstrong daughter run his company, or watch his daughter's private firm destroy his company. He chose the former, and Umbra collaborated her firm under the banner of Swallow Industries, and now, with a seventeen-year-old running its affairs, Umbra seems determined to bring Swallow Industries above the ground. Rather like the story of Opal Koboi, only this time, Umbra seems determined to join with Fowl Enterprises. _

_Rourke Swallow is outraged that his daughter even dare mention collaborating his company with Fowl Enterprises. Umbra's reaction was stating that the company is now hers, and she would do what she felt fit to do with it. Rourke counteracted by formulating a plan to overthrow Fowl Enterprises once and for all (viewed by technical genius Foaly). _

_It seems like the best for the world of Mud Men if Swallow Industries goes aboveground and joins with Fowl Enterprises. It also seems that this is Umbra R. Swallow's plan. But will Artemis Fowl let someone almost, if not, as notorious as he is himself, join hands with him and quite literally rule the world? Do people share power? _

_Most importantly, the genius behind all the LEP technological advancements, the centaur Foaly, has discovered that Umbra R. Swallow has done excessive research on what seems to be Artemis Fowl's early teenage years – namely his activities during age twelve and thirteen – possibly fourteen. Could it be possible that she too, is looking for traces of the People, and is this Umbra another threat to the People?_

_All the People must do now is to keep still, and keep a close eye on Artemis Fowl, and, yet another threat, Umbra R. Swallow…_

_***_

**Disclaimer:** I own no one, save Umbra R. Swallow, and Rourke Swallow. Everyone else belongs to the great Eoin Colfer.

**A/N: **I know that was short, but I decided to start the story off like a documentary sort of thing to just let people know what's going on in Artemis' life, and to throw a bit of light on a new character I'm bringing into the plot. The resemblance between Umbra Swallow and Opal Koboi is rather stunning. In a way, Eoin Colfer _does_ own Umbra…or rather, the basic character development…well, not quite.

Anyway, even if it seemed like garbage, please review, they mean a lot to me…I solemn-heartedly do swear that it will get better, because all my first chapters seem like garbage.

Reviews + me = Happy…

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	2. An Email

**Title: **Before the Storm Breaks

**Author:** Chandramukhi

**Rated:** PG-13

**Summary:** Artemis receives a strange email from what appears to be an employee of the black-market equivalent of Fowl Enterprises, but what happens when he realises that he and the president of this rival company must ally in order for him to regain the memories of his past that have been lost to him by the People?

**_*Chapter 1: An Email*_**

****

Artemis stared at the blinking icon on his computer desktop. 

It looked deceptively calm; as though nothing out of the ordinary could ever occur out of it. Artemis' eyes registered on the black lettering across the screen.

_One new message_.

Artemis blinked. All mail going into his inbox – his personal, _private inbox – were matters of utmost urgency. What urgent matter could _possibly_ crop up? Why, it was a week after holiday season, where most facilities in Ireland had been shut down for the break. What emergency could pop up just out of nowhere like that? He'd _told_ all employees – well, sent messages to be told – that he was not to be disturbed during holidays. Maybe he should've just stopped checking his email altogether, it would serve them right, for disturbing him during his well-deserved holidays. _

All the same, he _was_ the Boss, and it _was_ his responsibility to check up on the company once in a while. After all, he knew how quickly companies fell, and ninety percent of the time, they fell due to their lazy, un-correspondent presidents. And Artemis was _not about to become one of those._

He went to his inbox, and was shocked to discover _two new emails waiting for him! Not only that, but one of them was from an _anonymous sender_! _

Artemis' fist pummelled the desk, as his eyebrows contracted in frustration. _Why_ was this stupid spam in his inbox? Why had it not been sent to the trash?!

He opened the first one, from his mother, on holiday, in Helsinki. He scanned through its contents. Phrases jumped out at him, such as 'hope you're eating well' and 'don't forget to put on your mittens' and whatnot.

He mentally smiled to himself. Mothers were like that, weren't they? Worried themselves sick over such puny trifles. But that was the problem with it all. That was the very reason he was so very fond of his mother – he just couldn't let that go.

He went on to the next email – the one that had entered undetected. He was unsure of whether this was from someone who had learned how to beat his system, or if it was just some worker sending anonymous. 

He took a chance and opened it. 

Immediately, the screen went white. Artemis frowned. He was reading a blank email. A perfect practical joke, certainly?

All of a sudden, words appeared, letter by letter.

_Artemis Fowl_, it read.

_This is an urgent warning. Failure to comply with this message can result to the downfall of the Fowl empire._

Artemis narrowed his eyes. He did not like baseless threats.

_Doubtless that you have made several moves against Swallow Industries, especially against its previous owner, Rourke Swallow._

Artemis paused, his interest captured.

_But now, even though the company is on better ground, thanks to its owner Umbra Swallow, Rourke Swallow still poses a threat to your company._

Artemis snorted. How could this powerless buffoon pose a threat to a worldwide domination?

_Do not be fooled. Rourke Swallow is no ordinary powerless buffoon. He has many contacts, and many supporters. And some background information on you that would be ground-shattering_.

Artemis' eyebrows rose to above his hairline at this. What background information? His entire life had been one of intense schooling and staying-at-home.

_If you have any shred of shrewdness in that fabled mind of yours, then you will meet me at _En Fin_, the London seafood restaurant. I will be sitting at the third table from the fourth window on the west side of the building, on the twenty-eighth of December. The reservation is under the name Reeve. Please do come join me for lunch – and a talk about business matters._

_Reeve_

The email went dead. Artemis sat there, going through some very strange lapses of déjà vu. For some reason, going to lunch at _En Fin to conduct business matters, seemed a very foreboding thing to do, although he didn't know why. _

He thought about the message. This fellow, Reeve, seemed very fishy. Seemed to know a lot. A whole lot. More than necessary. 

But he knew that he couldn't take any chances. If this Reeve person said that his empire was in danger – then this was no joke. Something about the very presentation of this message had left him feeling that this Reeve was no idiot – especially if he/she had beaten his mail security, which had been tight – no loopholes. 

"Butler!" he called. Butler, his manservant entered.

"Yes, Master Fowl?" he asked.

Artemis' eyes narrowed. "Mark on the calendars – we're going to London on the twenty-eighth of December. Make sure the restaurant _En Fin  is clear – I want no ambushes, no traps, no pranks even. I don't want to take any chances like last ti – "_

He cut himself off, feeling slightly feverish. He had never set foot in _En Fin_; but why did he get the feeling that he had been tricked there – tricked badly?

He shook it off.

"So, pack your suitcases," he told Butler. "I want you to check the site, make sure that there's no danger there."

An image of Butler flying through a dining room with a bullet in his chest suddenly filled Artemis' mind. He shivered, trying to shake the morbid image off, although he couldn't understand how he knew so surely that _En Fin had __huge freezers._

***

**Disclaimer:** Hmm…I'm not being original here, you know.

**A/N:** That was also short, but I hope it was slightly intriguing. Next chapter, we'll meet Umbra R. Swallow, and let's see how she turns out. Oh, and just in case some of you were wondering, the _R_ in her name doesn't stand for her father's name…her full name will be exposed next chappie!

And don't worry, Umbra will _not be a Mary-Sue._

I wuv all my reviewers!

R&R please!!!

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